Cut "economic lifelines" to militias in Great Lakes: UN chief

A displaced woman in Kanyaruchinya, north of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, (DRC). Photo: MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti (2013)

The illegal-exploitation of natural resources across Africa's Great Lakes region by armed groups is an "economic lifeline" that needs to be cut.

That's according to UN chief Ban Ki-moon, briefing a UN Security Council debate on peace and security in the region.

The Great Lakes area consists of four countries in East and Central Africa.

He said that there had been a "sharp increase" in ethnic and communal-based violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which required the "urgent attention" of the international community.